What whales can you see in Antarctica?
Humpback and Antarctic minke are the two you are most likely to meet. Fin whales and orcas are possible and can be locally common. Everything else is rarer than the brochures imply. Ranked honestly by how often you would actually see them: – Humpback , the most frequently encountered large whale, es
What wildlife can you see in Svalbard?
Polar bears, walruses, Svalbard reindeer, Arctic foxes, belugas, seals, whales and very large seabird colonies. For a broad High Arctic wildlife trip in one compact archipelago, Svalbard is one of the strongest expedition destinations there is. On the birds: little auk, Brünnich’s guillemot, Atlanti
What penguins can you see in South Georgia?
Four species breed there: king, macaroni, gentoo and chinstrap. Kings are the reason people go. On a conventional South Georgia expedition that reaches its managed sites, they are one of the strongest reasonable expectations in polar travel. St Andrews Bay, Salisbury Plain and Gold Harbour are the f
What seals will I see in Antarctica?
Five are realistically possible on the Peninsula: Weddell, crabeater, leopard, Antarctic fur and southern elephant. No single landing is likely to hold all of them, because each one follows different habitat. Weddells are the regular sighting, around coastal fast ice and further south. Rounded face,
Are there polar bears in Antarctica?
No. Polar bears live in the Arctic, at the top of the world. Penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, at the bottom. They have never met in the wild and never will. Antarctica has no native land mammals at all. No bears, no wolves, no foxes, no reindeer, no musk oxen. The largest visible Antarctic
Where is the best place to see polar bears?
Svalbard, or a genuinely remote East or North Greenland itinerary. Not Iceland, and not most Greenland trips. Svalbard has a developed expedition-cruise sector and bears can occur across the archipelago, particularly where the sea ice and the seals are. It is the most straightforward answer for some
What penguin species will I see in Antarctica?
Three species on a standard Antarctic Peninsula trip: gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie. Gentoos are reasonably expected on a typical western Peninsula route and are the ones most often encountered. Which of the other two you meet depends on where the itinerary goes and which landings the weather allows.
Will I see leopard seals in Antarctica?
A realistic possibility across the whole season, and never something to count on. You might see one resting on ice, swimming near a colony, or patrolling the spot where penguins enter the water. Late summer gives the best odds. February and March are usually strongest because inexperienced young pen
What is the difference between king and emperor penguins?
Two different species, and the difference that matters to you is where they live. King penguins are sub-Antarctic birds: South Georgia has the enormous colonies, and they also breed in the Falklands. Emperors breed far to the south of the sites a normal cruise visits, and reaching a colony takes a s
How close can you get to wildlife in Antarctica?
Five metres, about 15 feet, is the general minimum. It is a floor, not a target, and treating it as a target is the mistake most first-timers make. Plenty of situations need much more. Some sites specify at least 15 metres from elephant seals. Guides routinely ask for 15 to 25 metres or more from te